Wind, Water, and Shadows
by Alice the Wind Alchemist
Summary: Alice has become an only child after losing her sister, Aimee. She seeks to regain memories she lost and slowly forms a team of five with Edward and newfound friends. But what will she do if the homonculi are planning on something else? Something bigger.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: thanks for all of ya'll who read my Shugo Chara fanfic! srry, for bein really late on that.. but its almost summer so i'll try to upload more! i feel really bad wen i dont uplaod, im so sorry! i'd really appreciate feedback, even negative ones, it helps a lot! thanks in advance for even stopping to read this! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**Elaine: hihi!**

**Zadie: umm... hello?**

**Alice: and these are my secretaries- *cough* _friends._ my best buddies that help me with my writing!**

**Zadie: sure... although, sometimes it's very hard to help you.**

**Elaine: she has a point.**

**Alice: NO ONE ASKED YOU! *cough* okay. let's begin.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist and any of aspects. I do own my characters: Alice Gold, Elaine Harrison (not the Avalon High one), and Rika Sakura.**

* * *

I stepped in nervously and took a timid seat in Roy's office. Truthfully, I was confused and didn't know where to go. Thankfully, Roy came in a minute later.

"Alice! Come on, follow me! You're going to be late!" he ushered me out the door and through hallways.

"S-sorry," I stammered, trying to keep myself on my feet as I was being dragged.

"Doesn't matter, there's no time! Where have you been?" he asked.

"Um, I was... with my sister..." I muttered.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Alice," he apologized.

"It's not your fault. I'd like to get this over with, though," I offered.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," he assured.

"Right this way, Miss," a soldier motioned to a large double-door.

"Th-thank you." _Aimee, help me_...

As the colonel led me in, I took in the large room. My exam wasn't as grand as I'd heard about the Fullmetal Alchemist or the Ever-Blue Alchemist. Even the colonel himself was a State Alchemist. I was to present my abilities and they would judge me on skill and performance. I sighed then took a deep breath.

I spotted the Fuhrer and he met my gaze. Quickly, I looked away and took my spot on a large platform. There was rock, wood, and water; nothing else to work with. No matter, my specialty was all around me and unlimited. I thought about the material I had and began.

I started with one of the most basic things I had learned. I transmuted pieces of rock into a large boulder. Then, slapping my hands again, I thrust my palms forward as hard and as sharply as I could. An incredibly strong wind sliced the boulder and different angles and locations to shatter the rock. I continued and transmuted wood into several hollow rods. I clapped and, by changing the pressure in the air much slower than I had the first time, I gently guided the air through the rods, making a graceful melody flow throughout the room. Suddenly, I cut off the music by propelling my hands back, sending the rods everywhere and creating a frenzy of notes. As I walked to the water, the wood fell all around me, except for one piece that I caught and transmuted into a curved shield. I clapped my hands one last time and shot them towards the water. It sprayed everywhere and as I held up my shield, not a single drop fell on me. "Thank you," I said, bowing.

"Very nice, Miss Gold. You're results will be in soon."

I stepped out of the door to look for the colonel. I found him around the corner arguing with a shorter than average blonde boy.

"Would you stop treating me like a kid, Mustang?" he yelled.

"Please, Fullmetal, you _are_ a child and you are to obey my orders," Roy replied.

"Why you-!"

"Ah, there you are, Alice. How did it go?" Roy walked over to me as the boy made a face.

I hadn't noticed until then that there was a dark-haired girl close behind Roy. She chuckled at the blonde's misfortune and followed, paying attention to no one but herself.

"Um, I guess I did fine. I won't know for a while," I answered.

"Well, I need you to do something for me," he told me.

"But I haven't passed yet."

"Oh, you'll pass."

"B-but how-"

"Anyway, I need you to meet me here on the 18th," he said.

"That's the 17th, Colonel," the girl corrected.

"Right, right. Meet me in my office then." He turned to the girl, "Tell Fullmetal, too."

She jotted down something in a notebook while nodding. "Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes asked to see you."

"Thank you. I'll be leaving then. See you, Alice," he said, leaving with the girl following him, never once showing me her face.

I started to think about what he had said. Did he really know I would pass? _Fullmetal._ Was that the boy he was with? What did he have to do with me? I gathered many more thoughts all the way to my apartment.

It was the 17th. The day I was to meet the colonel and that strange boy. I took a cab to Central and Roy was already there waiting for me.

He guided me to his office. As soon as he opened the door, I saw the blonde-haired boy . He saw me, too.

"Who are you?" he asked.

I blushed slightly, unsure of what to say. "I, uh-"

"She's a State Alchemist," Roy answered.

"What?" the boy responded.

"Actually, I haven't passed yet," I told him.

"Yes, you did," Roy said, handing me a stack of papers with my name on it.

"I did?" I squealed, setting the papers down.

"Yup. Now, every State Alchemist has a title or a second name. Yours has been decided to be the Wind Alchemist," Roy explained. He threw a silver object at me and I barely caught it. "That's a silver pocket-watch given to every State Alchemist. It's your only identification, don't lose it. That would be bad, right, Edward?"

"Once!" he yelled. "I lost it _once_!"

"Calm down, Fullmetal," Roy said, "And it was _twice_."

"Is that all you needed me for, sir?" I asked.

"No," Roy replied. "I have a request. This involves you, too, Edward."

He seemed the slightest bit more interested.

"Now that you're a State Alchemist, Alice, you fall under my command," he told me. "Edward, as for you, you also follow my orders."

* * *

I stood outside the door. Listening, writing, thinking. I laughed as as Edward yelled at the colonel. Remembering, I flipped to the passage I had written that day in my notebook.

_Saturday, July 23__rd_

_1:56 p.m._

_Edward and Alphonse Elric (along with their mechanic, Winry Rockbell) arrive in Rush Valley at 12:45 p.m. They look around the town until Edward is challenged. The "challenge" was to see if his auto-mail is strong enough to win an arm-wrestling contest with another. Edward uses alchemy to cheat. Locals then marvel at Edward's auto-mail. Miss Rockbell is congratulated for her work. Edward is forced out of his clothes so that citizens could get a closer look at his auto-mail. Edward then realizes he has lost his silver pocket-watch. I had seen the town thief, Paninya, take it but Edward does not know. He begins searching and finally finds her. He attempts to catch her with the help of brother, Alphonse..._

I shut the notebook, thinking again.

* * *

"I have a very important job for both of you. This is not a mission that will take a week or a month, or a year for that matter," Roy stated.

"Don't a have enough on my plate, Mustang?" Edward said.

"Don't worry, Fullmetal. Generally, you wont be changing your routine. Only one slight adjustment for you."

What was he talking about?

"Wait," Edward started. "You don't mean-"

"Ed, Alice, from now on, you two will be working together."

"WHAT?" Edward and I screamed at the same time.

"You heard me," Roy said calmly.

"You're not serious, right?" I asked. "I mean, we don't even share the same goals! We can't do this!"

"Actually, you do. And you're not the only ones. There is one other girl, but I don't think she's-"

"Come on, Mustang! Enough joking!" Edward yelled.

A smug look crossed his face. I jumped up as I realized something. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He chuckled. "Enough chatting. Go home, you both leave for Liore tomorrow."

"I need to get my auto-mail checked. I'm going to Rush Valley," Edward stated.

"I'll go with you. I guess I have nothing else to do," I said.

"That's the spirit! Goodbye, you two!" Roy smiled.

* * *

After the two alchemists left, I stepped into Roy's office. "Like twins, right?"

"Yes. Didn't Miss Harrison say she was going to Rush Valley?" the colonel asked. His expression was amusing, as was my answer.

"She did, Sir. They may meet their triplet."

He laughed once more. "This is getting interesting, isn't it?"

"Yes, Sir. Shall I have my ticket changed to Rush Valley?" I asked.

"Yes, Rika. Take your leave for today. I'll be waiting for that report." The colonel dismissed me.

* * *

**A/N: thnx for readin! plz review and give me ur feedbacks and possible ideas! i'll try to upload soon!**


	2. Ride to Rush Valley

**A/N: YES! ITS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! WHOOT! anyway... see? this one's uplaoded super-fast! :D well, thats cuz i had already started typing this one before-hand. thnx to everyone who ever reviews! um, to clarify some things: yes, in the last chapter, there was a mention of paninya and wat happened in rush valley that time. i'm kind of time traveing right now, so other than his age, i'll go in order, just skipping the rush valley one for that time. also, yes, Alice calls Ed 'Edward'. thats cuz she doesnt really know him. but around the beginning of chap 3, she'll call him Ed, k? one more thing, Al was forgotten! i forgot about him when i was typing this part so i put in where he was. he is in the next chapters, i have those written out with him in it, so no worries! okay!**

**Elaine: that was a long author's note.**

**Zadie: yes, yes it was.**

**Alice: you two are _so _much help...**

**Both: you're welcome! :)**

**Alice: Oh dear... well then...**

**The Ever-Blue Alchemist (a.k.a. Elaine):** hellooo! thnx for reviewing, buddy! i still think that i made her, but sure, go ahead :) soooo, yea... MUFFIN!

**Zadierose (a.k.a. Zadie):** lol, ur review took FOREVER to get to my inbox! yes, yes, she' super-cool. and no, al musn't be forgotten, don't worry!

**Alice: all righty then...**

* * *

I woke up the next morning very tired. Today, I had to leave for Rush Valley with Edward. This was Roy's fault. At least I had someone to show me the ropes. This was my first week of being a State Alchemist and I wasn't really sure what to do.

I packed a suitcase and left for the train station. I found Edward and walked up to him. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's get our tickets." His voice was tired and sleepy. I wondered what made it so.

Edward walked up to the ticket booth and ordered form a sweet-looking woman. "2 tickets for Rush Valley."

"Just in time," she said. "Next one leaves in 10 minutes. Money?"

Edward pulled out his silver watch and I clumsily copied. She gave us a strange look but didn't question. "I see. Stay safe," she said, handing us the tickets.

As we neared the train, I noticed a tall man in a blue uniform. Ed paled. He grabbed my wrist and pulled us faster.

"Wait, what are you doing? Let go!" I shrieked.

"Ssh! He might notice y-" Edward tried finishing his sentence but couldn't as two large arms swept around him.

"Edward Elric! How great to see you off!" the man said.

"M-Major Armstrong," Edward choked out. "It's n-nice to see you too. But we really need to get going..."

"'We'?" The major noticed me. "And who might you be?" he asked cheerfully.

"Alice Gold. I'm a new State Alchemist," I answered shyly.

"Wonderful!" He hugged me, too. "I'll see you again soon, I hope!"

"Y-yeah," I let out a breath when he released me. "Goodbye."

Major Armstrong waved the entire time we walked/sprinted to the train and got on it. I almost waved but was too embarrassed.

Once the train left, it was getting quiet. Edward's brother, Alphonse, sat behind us. I tried making conversation.

"So... How old are you?" I asked.

"You shouldn't pursue this," he answered.

"What? How old you are?"

"No, not that. Roy said we do share the same goals. You want to find the Philosopher's Stone?" he whispered.

"Not necessarily. I just want to find something..." I whispered back.

"Well don't," he said flatly.

"What? Why not?"

"It's dangerous. Just stop now while now you can. You can lead a way better life. Don't waste it."

"I don't remember saying you could tell me what to do," I spat. Thinking of what had happened to Aimee and I changed me back to the person I used to be; carefree, harsh, and sometimes rude. "Look, you have your own life and I have mine. I'm gonna find whatever I lost because I need to finish what I started. You do what you want with yours."

"What...?"

"You heard me. If you wanna hear the story, I'm fine with that. A few years back, someone killed my sister right in front of me. I felt like it was my fault and I had to get her back. My father was a successful State Alchemist and my mother was a Major in the military. I learned from them, no matter how much I hated them. When I tried to bring her back, I failed. All my memories of her, everything, are gone. I was told this whole story by my grandmother, pretty much the only mother figure I had. I want those memories back. Whether you're gonna deal with it or not is your choice," I told him.

"Are... Are you telling me you attempted human transmutation?" he questioned.

"Yes. And?"

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"I know how you feel..." He proceeded to tell me his own story.

It was a really morbid after that, but I felt as though we were closer as friends. I was glad for that, I hadn't had many friends before.

"So are you going to answer my question?" I asked.

"What?"

"How old are you?"

"Oh, uh... 14," he mumbled.

"Really?" I asked.

"My height is perfectly normal for my age!" he yelled.

I laughed. "It's not that. I'm 14, too. Wow, you're so temperamental."

"Shut up!"

The mood lightened up and we chatted the rest of the ride.

* * *

Rush Valley was everything I expected it to be. There were people everywhere. Some were minding their own business, some chatting and marveling with others.

Edward sighed. "It's been a while. But nothing's changed."

"You've been here?" I asked.

"Yup. You?"

"No. But, boy is it special. I've heard a lot about it," I responded.

"It's great here. I'll show you to the best mechanic I know. She's my childhood friend and made my arm and leg for me when I needed them," he explained as he led me through the streets. "Sometimes I ask her to come to Central to do maintenance."  
"She sounds nice," I commented as we arrived at a store with a sign reading GARFIEL.

When we entered I spotted a blonde girl slaving over a desk with various metal parts and wires.

"Um, hi, Winry," Ed said casually.

She looked up in shock. "Oh my goodness, Ed!"

"Hey. I just need some maintenance and thought I'd come here for a change."  
"It's so amazing to see you!" she squealed.

Edward motioned towards me, "This is my friend, Alice. She's a new State Alchemist and we're working together now."

"That's great!" Winry said, ecstatically shaking my hand. "It's nice to meet you!"

"You too," I smiled.

"You go on back, Ed. I'll be there in a minute!"

"Okay, I'll be waiting," Edward said.

When he was gone, Winry took it as an opportunity to know all about me. She seemed like an incredibly friendly person and I told her what I could.

"Well, I'd better go fix up Ed now. Stay safe, okay?"

"Don't worry. We'll be fine."

I hadn't known then I had lied.

* * *

After Edward was done we headed back out.

"So, what should we do now?" I asked as we wandered around.

"Well, I don't want to go to Liore so soon," Edward told me. "We can look around then go get Al at the hotel. Is it okay if we spend a night here? We'll leave tomorrow morning."  
"That's fine. Do you want to just walk around? There are a lot of shops here."

"Yeah, there are a lot but I don't really know them. Winry always gets the stuff I need," he explained. "Auto-mail is complicated."

"I think it's pretty cool," I told him.

"Really? Well, you can choose where we go if want to look at some stuff."

"Seriously? Okay!" I squealed.

I wanted to see some stuff I might actually like but all the shops around were so buff and bulky that they didn't appeal to me.

Finally, I saw a shop worth looking at. The figures in the display were simple and slim. I even saw a girl in there. "That one!" I exclaimed, pointing to the shop.

I just started walking towards it when something terrible happened.

* * *

Two dark figures stood at the top of a building, looking down at the people below.

"Gluttony," the woman called. "Are you done with your snack?"

"I'm coming, Lust!" Gluttony said back, finishing the remains of a dead animal.

"Hmm," Lust sighed. "Fullmetal is here... Envy was right. Go gluttony."

"Okay! I'm done!" Gluttony smiled, blood spattered on his face as he jumped off the building.

"Oh," Lust said as he jumped, "he didn't wash his face."

She smiled when she heard a scream.

* * *

**A/N: thnx for readin all of you. i noticed that a lot of people favorited this story, and i hop u continue to read it, but no one (cept mah buddies) reviewed. i kno sometimes its hard, i kno it is for me, but it really helps if u give me some feedback! thanks! BYE!**


	3. The EverBlue Alchemist

**A/N: FINALLY! u do not kno how long i've wanted to uplaod this chapter! it wud hav been here much earlier if SOMEONE (turns to elaine) had brought me the notebook on which it was written on time!**

**Elaine: Sorry! I forgot! it was the last day of school! my bad!**

**Me: Well, now i finally hav it in my possesion and it shall be uplaoded!**

**Zadie: Yay...**

**Me: *sniff* so anyway, this chapter is actually mostly wrriten by elaine! of course with small touch-ups form me, but nervertheless, she recieves credit for MOST of this chapter! and onwards!**

* * *

Out of nowhere, it happened.

Blood was strewn across his face, hands, and chest. He was large. Inhumanly large.

I was frozen with pure fear. It happened in seconds but felt like hours. He smiled evilly at me. I screamed at the top of my lungs.

People everywhere fled from the sight.

"Alice!" Ed yelled. He ran in front of me and spread his arms out. I heard him mutter something unrecognizable.

The large man studied Ed then stared at me. Then, he looked up at the top of the building where a tall, slim figure stood.

"Can I eat them, Lust?" he called to her.

The woman named Lust chuckled. "You know you have to leave the Fullmetal Bean alone, Gluttony," she said. "But you can have the girl."

My eyes widened in fear. What on Earth was happening?

Gluttony smiled again. He lunged at us. I tried to grab Ed's arm to keep him still but he was already running. Ed was about to transmute when Gluttony thrust his arm out and knocked him aside.

"Ed!" I screamed.

Gluttony sprang at me now. He grabbed both my wrists and held me above the ground.

"Alice!" Ed yelled from the ground.

I struggled in the death grip he had me in. There was nothing I could do. Was this the life I was leading? I prepared myself for the worst and-

"Hey!" an new voice rang. "What are you doing to that girl? Can't you see she's not that into you?"

* * *

**(Change POV)**

I stood looking at a couple of light-weight plates for auto-mail when I heard a terrible scream.

I dropped the metal and looked outside. I saw Edward Elric standing protectively in front of a strange girl. In front of them was some sort of beast. Covered in blood and smiling evilly.

I knew I should help, but I couldn't stop staring at the horrifying sight in front of me. I stayed rooted to the spot, as unmoving as an old dilapidated truck.

The large man studied Ed and the girl for a moment then looked up at the roof of a nearby building. Following his gaze, I saw a slim, dark-haired figure sitting on that rooftop.

"Can I eat them, Lust?" he called to the figure.

"You know you have to leave the Fullmetal Bean alone, Gluttony. But you can have the girl," the woman called Lust replied. Obviously, Ed held some prominence.

Gluttony smiled and lunged at Ed, meaning to get past him. Ed jumped to toward him to attack, but was pushed aside.

When he hit the ground I knew it was time to act. It was strange, but I felt liable to protect these two.

"Hey! What are you doing to that girl? Can't you see she's not that into you?" I yelled strongly.

The girl looked at me in complete astonishment. Ed was up and running now that Gluttony's attention was diverted. He seized the chance to use alchemy and pushed the ground beneath the monster to get him away form the girl. He jumped, using Gluttony's head as a springboard to get over to us.

"Hey!" he yelled as his head snapped back.

Ed landed in front of me very gracefully.

"These guys are bad," Ed told me. "They wont hurt me because they need me for some reason, but you guys are in danger."  
"Then let's retaliate! They try to hurt us, we'll hurt them!" I replied.

"Just who are you, anyway?" the strange girl asked quietly.

"Elaine Harrison," I said proudly. "But you may know me better as the Ever-Blue Alchemist."

Ed's jaw dropped as a look of extreme surprise flitted across his face. "The Ever-Blue Alchemist? I've heard a lot about you! You and Alice are the only State Alchemists around my age."

"Alice?" I asked confused.

The strange girl stepped up and stuck out her hand. "At your service. I'm Alice Gold, Wind Alchemist."

"Really? Wow, that's weird. How come I haven't heard much of you?" I asked.

"I started about 2 days ago," I explained.

"Well, how do you like it so far?" I asked her cheerfully.

She pointed to the mess that was Gluttony. "Do you expect me to answer that?"

"Yeah, never mind..."

"I'm Edward Elric," Ed piped up. "The Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Oh, I already know about you! You're Central's one and only bean boy!"

Alice looked nervous as Ed got quiet. "Um, Elaine, I wouldn't-"  
Then suddenly, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SUPER SMALL BEAN BOY?"

I giggled softly then said in a small voice, "You."

Of course, that just led to a whole other rant with increased volume. By this time, I was laughing hard and Alice was giggling. This moment could have been twice as funny if the noise hadn't just attracted Gluttony's attention.

He rushed at us with inhuman speed, mouth open as if to swallow us.

"Scatter!" Ed and I yelled at the same time. We all ran in different directions, hoping to confuse him.

It didn't work. He simply changed course and charged full speed at who? Me. Yay. Now, I decided, would be an awesome time to use alchemy...

Unaware that all eyes were on me, I skidded to a stop, knelt to the ground, clapped my hands together, and transmuted the water out of the soil at my feet. Then the water flew at Gluttony, binding him. When that job was done, it came back and formed a protective ring around me.

"No, I'll not be defeated by the likes of you," I said. "Not now, not ever!"

While Gluttony was temporarily disoriented, Alice turned, clapped her hands together, and pushed her outstretched palms toward him. Immediately, a ferocious wind created by her alchemy lifted Gluttony high into the air and dropped him right on top of his partner. I noticed her staring at her hands strangely. She seemed distant at that moment.

Quickly, I clapped my hands together one more time. I laid my hands on the ring of water, which was glowing the same blue my eyes.

The glowing liquid shot up in an arch, right at the odd pair, freezing on contact.

"Hey!" I called to Ed and Alice. "Now might be a good time to get out of here! I don't want to be anywhere near them when they thaw out!"

"Agreed!" Ed replied. "Follow me, Al should be back at our place by now."

* * *

"Nii-san! Alice! You made it back safely!" Al exclaimed happily. "I was getting worried! I heard there was some kind of commotion in town..."

"Nothing we couldn't handle!" I said proudly.

"By the way," Al said hesitantly. "Who are you?"

"Oh, how rude of me. Let me formally introduce myself. I'm-"

"Her name's Elaine. She's a State Alchemist," Ed turned to me. "And if I'm not mistaken, that's not the only thing we have in common."

I grimaced.

"Anyway, where the heck did you come from?" he asked.

"I was just passing by, you know. I was able to get a little vacation from my superior." I was trying to say what was mostly true.

"Which is...?"

"Colonel Roy Mustang," I said.

Ed sighed.

"What?" I asked.

"That's our boss, too," Ed told me.

"Okay, this is just getting weird."  
"Well, whatever, we'll call him tomorrow. You can stay here for now," Ed said.

"Okey-dokey."

"So how did you all meet?" Al asked.

"Oh, I-"

"We were kind of in a fight. She helped us out," Ed cut me off.

Al turned to me, "Thank you for helping my brother and Alice. I'll see you tomorrow!" He walked off.

"Payback from earlier, bean boy?" I asked Ed icily.

"You better believe it!" Ed replied proudly. Then he froze and screamed," WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MICROSCOPIC BEAN BOY YOU WANT TO SMASH UNDER YOUR FOOT?"

I smiled and said, "Let the battle of the minds begin. Prepare yourself." I then moved to the room I had been assigned, followed by Alice.

I noticed she was still looking kind of distant.

"Is something wrong, Alice?" I asked her.

"Huh? Oh, nothing..." she replied.

I sat down next to her on the bed. "You can tell me anything."

She bit her lip hesitantly. "Well, it's just... I've never used alchemy to hurt someone. Am I supposed to do that? Is it wrong?"

I laughed softly. "Of course not. You were protecting yourself and others. You're not a bad person, Alice. It's okay."

"Th-thank you," She said nervously. She smiled weakly then said, "Good night," before crawling into her covers.

I smiled and thought, _We could be good friends, Alice and I._

* * *

**A/N: thank u very much to anyone who read this chapter! it really helps for me to not think this sucks if u review! plz review! i feel empty inside! i really appreciate feedback and even better if its negative comments! thank u, Kallypso for 1. reviewing! and 2. for the help with this! bye, guys! :3**


	4. Friendly to Fearful

**A/N: iiiiiiiiiiii'm back! yeah, i'm sure no one cares. *cough* ANYWAY! i'm leaving tomorrow morning on a trip to the great land of Okie for like 2 weeks, so i wont be uploading for a while cuz theres no computer there for me. sorry! i'll try to upload as fast as i can when i get back. see, i always try to be fast! the first time, elaine didn't give me the notebook! and now theres this. *sigh***

**Elaine: **srry about the notebook...)XD

**Me: 'Tis fine, 'tis fine.**

**Zadie: **You guys are weird...

**Um, here's for the reviewers!**

**Kallypso: yeah, i still can't find the right word for elaine.. she's... she's... this is hard XD.**

**The Eve-Blue Alchemist: yeah, don't you love ur entrance? u were a pretty good writer! lol, "picture of hapiness"? ur so u... X3**

**Silver Wolf 551: BLESS YOU! u r now one of my favorite people! ur one of the only people that review TAT! but ur awesome, so.. yeah! :D**

**ON WITH THE CHAPPY (oh, and same thing, elaine wrote most of the chapter, along with my slight changes) (one more thing! the 'manga/book' mentioned in here is completely non-existent. to anyone who's read Hayate no Gotoku, Nagi[main character] made up this manga. it sounds really really cheesy, and it is. personally, i didnt wanna put that name in there but i couldnt think of anything better! DX anway, it's not mine!)**

* * *

(Elaine's POV)

I awoke the next day with sunlight streaming throughout the open windows. I smiled as it gently warmed my exposed face.

Sitting up with a smile, I stretched as I remembered the strange events of yesterday. My mind lingered on the odd pair and the smile faded.

_Who were those guys...?_

I figured Ed would be up now, so I decided to go talk to him about it.

I started to tip-toe around the room I shared with Alice. Quickly, I realized that it wasn't necessary. Alice was a deep sleeper. I giggled at how innocent she looked sleeping. And at the fact that she wouldn't budge while she slept.

Ed was still sleeping on a couch in the living room when I arrived. Strangely, he slept with his mouth open and stomach exposed. As a result, drool was now forming a puddle under his right cheek.

"Who knew?" I said quietly. "Even beans drool and can sleep irregularly."

Ed's eyes shot open. Even though he just woke up, not a hint of grogginess were in his eyes. Mostly just anger. You could imagine my surprise.

"Wow," I said in awe. "I think you've trained your mind to automatically react to any reference in height, even in a state of sub-consciousness. What a big brain in such a small bean!"

He exploded on me, but I wasn't really listening. I just smiled at him. You know that feeling you get when you're teasing your younger sibling and you realize you really do love them? That's kind of how I felt with Ed. It only took 2 days of him to get me to love him like the little brother I never had.

Maybe because I was older than him, by about a year. But maybe because I just wanted family. Even Alice felt like a little sister. She acted way younger anyway.

While I was lost in thought, Ed had finished his rant and was now looking at me in confusion. He was probably wondering why I was smiling so warmly at him... Oh, well, let his little mind wander.

"So, are you ready for breakfast?" I asked him.

"Do you know how to cook?" he asked.

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. "When you're the only one in the house with arms, you need to learn to cook if you want to eat," I said dryly.

Before he could ask what I was talking about, Alice came in yawning.

"*YAAAAWN* What's all the commotion so early in the morning?" she said sleepily.

"Great! You're up!" I said happily. "Just in time to help me make breakfast!"

"What?" she replied as grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she put her head lower, as if to hide from me.

_Hmm,_ I thought_, she doesn't seem quite social._

"So, what should we make?" I offered cheerfully.

"I don't know," she mumbled. "Whatever you want is fine."

And I guess she's not that talkative either. It'll be my mission to open her up and get her to break her shell! The triumphant smile on my face must have freaked her out as she was now hiding more. I sighed inwardly. My mission had just begun and yet I was already failing.

"Well, we should get started. How about omelets?" I asked. She simply nodded.

We each helped to prepare the breakfast. I kept trying to think of ways to get her to open up when I remembered something.

"Oh, I need to pick the latest volume of End of the Century Legend: Magical Destroy." **(- AGH! XD)**

"Y-you read that?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I do too," she smiled softly.

"It's good isn't it? I like Karen the most!" I answered cheerfully.

She smiled a real genuine smile. I was so pleased. "I like Hanon, actually. But Karen's nice."

We went on like this for a while until we finished cooking. I was certainly glad how well my mission was going.

Ed, of course, devoured his breakfast. Al was quietly writing this down in a notebook of "things to eat when I get my body back". It was cute to watch him.

Alice smiled at me form across the table. Ed looked at her strangely, as if he'd never seen that face on her before.

After breakfast, we all started talking about what we were going to do next.

"Don't you think we should call Mustang?" I asked.

Ed gave me a sly smile. "Well, you are on vacation. I was thinking you could come with us and give Mustang a nice surprise when we get back."

I laughed. "You have a devious little mind, Edward Elric."

"Thank yo- Did you say 'little'?" he questioned.

"Get over it. I'll stay," I told them. "We should probably go by train to Liore."

"Good idea," Al said. "We need tickets."

"I'll go get them," Alice piped up. "I-if that's okay with you guys."

"Sure," Ed said. "Four tickets to Liore then."

"Okay. Oh, Elaine. While I'm out, I'll see if I can pick up End of the Century Legend: Magical Destroy for you," she said with a smile. **(- GAH XD)**

I smiled back and answered, "That would be great. Thank you, Alice."

"Your welcome. I'll be leaving then." She got up and walked out the door.

"So, what do we do now?" Ed asked.

"_You're_ going to do the dishes."

* * *

(Alice's POV)

I felt a lot better than usual. It was nice to have someone to talk to. I'd been feeling pretty alone lately.

It was actually a pretty nice day. Breezy, just how I liked it. My hair fell around my face a bit, framing it with dark lustrous curls.

_Now, where's the train station?_ I asked myself. This was a new town to me. I'd never been out much at my hometown either.

Fortunately, I spotted it. I walked up to the booth.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" I asked softly. I hated talking to strangers.

The man at the booth turned around and smiled at me. "What can I do for you, little lady?" he asked kindly.

"I need 4 tickets to Liore."

"Liore, huh? For today?" he asked.

"No, tomorrow. As early as possible, please."

The man picked up what looked to be a schedule. "How does 7:30 sound?"

"That's perfect, thank you," I said happily. "How much?"

"Let's see... 120 sens."

I paid him and placed the tickets in my pocket.

As I walked away, I noticed two men clad in black coats keeping pace a good ten feet behind me. Though I knew I was being paranoid, I increased my speed bit. So did the men.

Nearly sure that they were following me, I turned left at the next street. So did the men.

On the verge of panic, I kept my brisk pace while frantically searching for a way out. I took deep breaths and tried remembering the drills me and Aimee would conduct when this happened. But she wasn't here anymore. I was alone.

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I hadn't noticed when the men were joined by another two and began closing the gap between us.

I also didn't notice I'd taken a wrong turn until I came face to face with a brick wall.

As I turned to leave, I found my path blocked by the four men.

"Wh-what do you want with me?" I called out shakily.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, Alice," a voice whispered in my ear.

By then, I could feel a cool blade at my neck and a strong arm around my waist.

"Tie her hands!" my captor commanded. Apparently, he knew about me. I hadn't. I completely forgot about alchemy until my hands were already tied.

While one of the men bound my wrists with a strong rope, he put his mouth next to my ear and whispered.

"So this is the beautiful, Alice Gold. The rumored 'Wind Alchemist'."

He caressed my cheek with the tip of his index finger. I instinctively flinched at his touch.

"Aw, she doesn't like me," he said in mock despair. "Well, you'll just have to deal with it, missy."

With my hands bound, my captor's hand moved from my cheek to my neck.

Pressure point.

Before I had time to scream, I was out.

* * *

**A/N: eh? eh? lol, thanks for reading! PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ REVIEW! theres a dark abyss in my soul! i kno, i kno, i look prety pathetic, but then again, i am... TAT. see u in a LONG while XD**


	5. In The Spot of Trouble

**A/N: i know i said i'd be back i 2 weeks. i lied. seriously, it's not my fault. and i know you people don't really care so just let me reply to reviewers and whatnot.**

**The Ever-Blue Alchemist: thats stupid name... its so weird XDX yeah,and i nvr got to finish my review. despair is still a variation of sloth. i'm not letting you live that one down. lol, i'm finally back CX and i did in fact txt u 8D**

**Kallypso: thank you, she is an enigma! XD oh crazy elaine. ur welcome ;)**

**Edme: thnx for reviewing! good thing i'm updating already...**

* * *

When I woke up, I found that I was sitting in a wooden chair in a small, windowless room. My hands were each tied to the arms of a chair and ankles to its legs. They had also taken the liberty of strapping a thick cord around my waist, securing me to the back of the chair.

I tried rolling my shoulders to relieve this weird pain in my neck when I found out something else.

They put a collar on me. Was I some kind of pet?

Now a slight bit of anger replaced my worry. I still wasn't the kind of person to get mad, but really? A _collar_?

I breathed slowly and skimmed my mind to figure out something to get me to out of here. I decided to test how strong my bonds were.

The second I tugged at my wrist, I knew I shouldn't have done so.

The collar beeped twice, then it shocked me. It _shocked_ me. And it hurt. The pain radiated throughout my body and though I tried to hold it back, a scream was torn from my lips.

I heard laughter coming from behind the walls of my prison. The door opened and a large, muscular man sauntered in.

"So you're awake, Alice. I apologize for playing dirty like that, but to me, it was my only choice."

Breathing hard from the pain, I wearily locked eyes with him. I recognized his voice and sure enough, it was the knife wielding criminal himself.

"I see you've discovered out toy. Rather 'shocking', isn't it?"

"That joke was almost as painful as the collar," I said.

Wait, _I_ said that? Where _had_ that come from?

The man clasped his chest in mock dismay. "You're so cruel, Alice. But I would be more careful if I were you," he replied darkly.

He walked up, reached behind my chair, and picked up a slim silver chain. A chain that was attached to my shock collar.

He tugged on the chain and not only did it shock me again- allowing another scream to pass from my lips- the collar also tightened around my neck, cutting off my air supply.

After watching me suffer for a few second, he released the chain, allowing me to breathe again.

As I gasped, choked, and gulped in great lengths of sweet oxygen, the man leaned toward me and whispered,

"Stay still, stay quiet, and we wont have to hurt you. At least, not badly. So behave." Then he turned and left, locking the door behind him.

How had he known so much about me? I sinked back into my normal self and gave in to hopelessness.

_What am I going to do?_ I thought.

* * *

"Are you finished with the dishes, Ed?" I called.

"Almost!" he replied.

I sighed inwardly. "Honestly, it's been an hour! There were only a few plates, utensils, the cutting board, and the pan! How long can it possibly take?"

"She's right, Nii-san," Al said in agreement. "What are you doing in there?"

"N-nothing! Just washing the dishes! Nothing else! Seriously!" Ed replied nervously.

I narrowed my eyes and rolled them. Looking over at Al, I mouthed the word 'suspicious' and put a finger to my lips as I tip-toed to the kitchen. I carefully cracked the door, thankful for oiled hinges, and peeked inside.

My mouth dropped open in horror.

"Ed! What the- How did- What did you _do_?" I shouted.

He jumped and turned toward me quickly, a look of fear plain on his face.

"I just- dishes- was washing- I- trying to-" he stammered.

"What?"

"Well, I- I just. I thought it would be easier with alchemy, s-so I tried using it to wash them but they... broke. S-so I used alchemy to fix them and now I don't know what to do..." He explained halfheartedly.

I sighed and said remorsefully, "This is what I get for letting a midget in the kitchen."

He glared at me and opened his mouth to rant but Al stopped him.

"Nii-san, stop it," Al told him.

"Why should I?" Ed replied angrily. "She keeps calling me short!"

"You shouldn't get so mad in the first place! And she has every right to be furious right now. She and Alice worked hard on breakfast and you ruined the kitchen," Al said sternly. "She let you off easy. Are you going to repay her kindness with insults?"

I was truly surprised with Al. I'd only recently met so I hadn't really seen his personality. He was quite a responsible young boy.

"Thank you, Al," I said. I turned to Ed and sighed. "Come over her, Ed. Looks like I'll have to show you how to wash dishes properly," I said with a giggle.

It only took about 10 minutes as I showed Ed the fundamentals of proper dish washing and had him try again. Al watched all of this and I just knew he was smiling. I was beginning to enjoy both of their company.

Suddenly, the phone rang. I left Ed to the rest of the dishes and answered the call.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you?" I said cheerfully into the phone.

"Hello, Edward. Is Ali- Wait. Elaine? Is that you?" I heard Colonel Mustang's confused voice.

"Hehe... Yes, it's me," I said a bit nervously, remembering I hadn't told him anything that happened.

"How did you-? Never mind, you'll explain that later. I need to ask you something. Is Alice with you?" He questioned.

"No. At the moment, she's out buying train tickets. Come to think of it, she should be here already. Why?" I said.

"I've got some news for you..."

* * *

-Flashback-

"Hawkeye, do you have that re-"

_RING RING_

Colonel Mustang answered the phone reluctantly, thinking that Hughes was calling to blab about his family again.

"Colonel Mustang, you have a call from a public line. They say it is very urgent. They demand to talk to you personally."

"Put them through," he said quietly.

There was a beep to let him know he was connected. "This is Colonel Roy Mustang. What business do you have with the military?"

"FINALLY! You wouldn't believe how long that took!" an angry voice yelled.

"Hello? Whom might I be speaking with and what do you need?" he asked.

The man laughed cockily. "What would you say if u told you I have Alice Gold held hostage?"

"I'd say you were lying," Roy responded.

"Well, I'm not. We've got her here. Found her wandering the streets. How's about some ransom?"

"Do you have proof?" he asked. "The military will not pay any ransom if there is no proof."

"Tch. Fine, why don't u just ask her?" Mustang heard muffled talking in the phone. "Here she is..."

"Alice? Are you there?" the colonel asked.

"Um, yes, unfortunately, it is," Alice's voice said sadly. Roy was truly surprised. He hadn't believed the earlier speaker.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine, for the most part. But I'm afraid things could get worse if I don't get out of here soon..."

"Alright, where are you?"

"Um, Colonel? Do you realize they're all standing around me? I'm not even holding the phone. Besides, I don't even know," Alice said helplessly.

"Well, what happened? Can you code it?"

"I'm just not sure how well that will work. They cornered me in an alley and one had a knife at my throat before I knew it. And I don't think small talk will work with them. I'm sorry."  
"Don't apologize. Is that it?" Roy told her,

"Yes."

"Then you'll be out of there in no time! Now let me talk to them again."

"Okay then. And Colonel? Please don't take too long," Alice said with worry in her voice.

Roy knew the kind of person she was. "I won't," he assured her.

"Hello, Colonel. Is that enough proof for you? Shall we negotiate now?" a darker voice said.

Roy sighed unhappily. He hated when crime actually does pay. It makes him look bad. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Hahaha! What everyone wants! Money! We want 1,000,000 sens for the safe return of Alice Gold."

"And how are we supposed to get that money to you?" Roy questioned.

"Well, I can't give you the address to our hideout now, can I? Just bring it to the corner of 4th and 2nd and we'll bring Alice."

Roy smiled in triumph. This was the location of their hideout. Rookie mistake on their part. "Sounds fair. Are there any deadlines?"

"Yeah. We want the money at tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp. This cheeky girl is getting annoying."

"Alright. We'll be there, but don't harm Alice!" the colonel warned.

He heard laughter then the criminal hung up.

"Lt. Hawkeye," he said.

"Yes? What is it?" she replied.

"Do you know where the Elrics are staying?"

-End Flashback-

* * *

I was quiet for a long time. Ed and Al were looking at me with concern.

Finally, I said, "Do you know where they are? … Okay, thank you for letting us know. We'll take care of it right away." With that, I hung up the phone violently.

I was furious. I got that way often when somebody rubbed me the wrong way. Then again, kidnapping isn't exactly going to make me happy. I wanted to tear these people up molecule by molecule. And I was sure all of this showed on my face when I turned to Ed. I knew so because it looked as though he thought I was going to tear _him_ apart.

"Um, is something wrong?" Ed asked in a cautious tone.

"Of course not!" I practically screamed. "Why would I be mad if someone I just met got kidnapped by a bunch of thugs?"

"What?" Ed and Al said at the same time.

"What happened?"

"Details don't mater just come on!" I shouted and dragged Ed by the collar.

"Yes, they _do_. Now tell me what happened!" Ed yelled.

"I'll tell you on the way. Just follow me. Al!" I called back "Please take care of the house!"

"I trust you!" he responded. "Please get back safely!"

As I led Ed, I explained to him, "Some creeps kidnapped Alice and are holding her for ransom."

His eyes widened a bit. "Where is she?"

"Corner of 4th and 2nd."

"Let's go," he said as he picked up into a run.

* * *

**A/N: OH THE CALAMITY! newayz, i'll try to update as fast as i can, but so cut me some slack. i dont hav the time to finish entire musicals, watch 10 episodes of anime, or read 15 chapters of manga in one day like SOME people.**

**Elaine: What?**

**Zadie: *rolls eyes***

**Me: neway. bye. plz do review.**


	6. The Rage of a State Alchemist

**A/N: okay, well. sorry i took long. here you go. if theres anyone out there.**

* * *

I wondered what would happen to me. What had the colonel done?

"It looks like you'll be outta here by tomorrow night. Aw, and I was just starting to like you, Miss Alice," the criminal said, pretending to sound upset.

"I thought I was an annoying, cheeky girl," I pointed out.

"Let's face it, you're a bit irritable," he answered.

"Yeah, and you're a real ray of sunshine." Why was I acting like this? I never spoke my mind.

"Watch it, girly. Or you'll get hurt," He said, leaning down on me. Already regretting my words, he ran his coarse finger across my cheek.

I heard the crackle of alchemy and looked over to see a door forming in the wall. It burst open and Ed stepped in.

"Don't touch her!" he shouted.

"What the...?"

An explosion erupted right to the door. When the fog cleared, a large hole with the edges caked with ice was present. Standing before it was Elaine.

Ed looked at her and she gave him a some-what apologetic smile. "What? I had to take my anger out on _something_."

"You guys! You're such idiots! Don't yo know you could get hurt? Leave!" I yelled at them.

"And how do you suppose you're getting out of here? Magic?" Elaine asked.

"I don't know! Just go! Don't be stupid! Now!" I was desperately trying to convince them.

"There's no way we're doing that," Ed said.

"Oh, but," the criminal said, "someone could get hurt."

From the corner of my eye, I saw the silver chain as he yanked it harder than before, shocking me once more.

I let out a loud high-pitched scream; an idiot move considering the collar stopped my breathing.

That was more than enough to make Ed and Elaine furious.

"Now, why don't you surrender before we hurt anyone else?" the criminal sneered. "I see you've made the mistake of bringing another helpless girl with you."

I though I saw Elaine twitch.

He snapped his fingers and a menacing henchmen shot out from the shadows. He grabbed Elaine, holding a knife to her throat.

To everyone's surprise, she started laughing.

"Big mistake," she said darkly.

She clapped her hands and grabbed the blade, freezing it then melting it.

"What?" her captor screamed.

Then she gathered the water in her hands and froze it again, in the form of a dagger.

To her captor's horror, she flipped the knife and stabbed him in the stomach. Ice began to form around the wound, slowly bleeding out to encase his entire body. This done, she kicked his leg, causing him to shatter into a million pieces.

She turned to Ed, fire in her usually cheerful blue eyes. It actually scared me.

"When you get the chance, take Alice and get her home. Leave the rest to me," she said incredibly seriously.

"I wont leave you here! There's too many of them! You'll-" Ed began.

"I don't care!" Elaine nearly shouted. "I'm going to make these thugs pay. And I'd rather you and Alice not didn't see."

I couldn't believe. It seemed as though Elaine had aged in less than 2 hours. Or had she always been like this? I felt like I had to help her somehow.

In his amazement at Elaine's ferociousness, the leader had allowed the chain to go slack. While his attention was diverted, I caught Ed's eyes and mouthed, "Break the collar." I wondered if he'd understood me. I sure hope he did.

* * *

I was beyond furious. Even after freezing and crushing the thugs, my fire remained. As an alchemist specializing in water, fire wasn't exactly my forte. Did that mean I didn't know how to put out the flames? But my rage was fueling this fire. Would I be able to rest even after I put out the fire?

Ed suddenly, grabbed my arm, stopping me from rushing forward.

"Don't try and stop me, Ed. I have to do this," I told him.

"Although I don't agree, I understand. But please don't rush into battle without a plan!" he replied hastily. "Alice is telling me to break the collar on her neck. I think that's what's restricting her movements."

I nodded; this made sense. "So, then I'll distract big, bad, and ugly over there and you focus on freeing Alice and getting out. Both of you," I said. "Just... Trust me."

"I do. Now let's this plan into action," he replied.

"Alright." I clapped my gloved hands and transmuted the groundwater out of the floor, then freezing it to create a wickedly sharp spear. "Make sure you inform Colonel Mustang, okay? Just in case I need help..."

"But-" Ed started to protest but I was already running, brandishing my new weapon.

"Wait, Elaine!" I heard Alice yell. "Stop! That's what he wants! It's a tr-!" She was suddenly cut off as the collar shocked her and prevented her from breathing. She screamed once more.

"Alice!" I yelled in despair. "You'll pay for that!" I shouted fiercely at him. Running even faster now, I was closing in, but it seemed as though the thug wasn't even trying to defend himself. The logical part of my brain was screaming, "It's a trap, stupid! Move!", but my reckless side was strengthened by my rage. And any logic had to say was drowned out by, "He's the one who kidnapped your friend! Tear him to pieces!"

I came within range and stabbed at him with my spear, but before I could make any contact, four men appeared and blocked me.

"Hahaha! You can't beat me, girly! There are five of us and only one of you! It isn't a fair fight!" the criminal mocked me.

"You're right. It isn't fair," I said softly. Then, without warning, I struck the thug in front of me, freezing him. Then I turned and hurled my spear at the thug who had been advancing behind me. With two down, the other two were disoriented and unorganized. I transmuted the dirt floor into mud. When they sunk up to their waists, I dried it, trapping them there.

I turned gracefully to their leader and said smoothly, "You get yourself ten men. Then you might have a chance at beating me."

"Why you...!" he said, obviously furiously. "But I'll always win! Because I have a hostage!" He yanked on the chain ferociously. At first, I winced at how much that would have hurt Alice, then smiled as the collar flew toward him, hitting his head.

He had been so intent watching me, he'd forgotten about Ed, who had sneaked over and freed Alice while I was fighting.

"It's a bad idea to forget about the Fullmetal Alchemist," I said darkly. "But an even worse idea to underestimate the Ever-Blue Alchemist." I advanced towards him, clapping and allowing blue waved of alchemical energy to crackle along my arms.

"D-don't come near me!" he yelled, scrambling backwards.

I continued advancing, ignoring his pleas.

A few moments later, a scream pierced the air, echoing through Rush Valley as a testament. A testament of a State Alchemist's power and rage.

* * *

I still couldn't believe it. I had never known how powerful Elaine was. And how frightening. She'd defeated armed men in seconds without breaking a sweat, all in a plan to free me. Was it a plan?

I was surprised when Ed came up behind me, using alchemy to detach the collar. With the collar off, I could easily rip through the ropes restraining my hands. Then with my hands free, I could use alchemy on everything else.

I wanted so badly to help her, even though I'd only be a nuisance. But as soon as I took a step toward her, Ed caught my wrist and said, "You can't."

His voice startled me. I almost recognized it. There was regret and a bit of doubt, but something more. Trust? I looked back and saw the same thing written on his face.

"She told me to get you out of here and leave the rest to her. I don't like it, but she's already made up her mind," he said quietly. "Let's go."

And so we ended up sneaking out before we were noticed.

We hadn't been out of the building for five minuted when we heard a scream.

Ed sighed. "She's done it," he said sadly.

"Done what?" I asked, ignorant of Elaine's plan.

"Never mind, let's just go see if she's okay," he told me quickly.

We turned and ran back into the building I had only recently escaped from. Not exactly pleasant, but I wanted to find Elaine.

At first, we couldn't find her, but we did find the leader. His body appeared to have been frozen but his head was boiled. She'd... killed him?

"Elaine? Where are you?" Ed called.

"I'm here!" I heard faintly. Her voice seemed to be coming from the door leading to the main building.

"Let's go, Alice! She'd over here! ...Alice?" Ed noticed me unmoving. I couldn't take my eyes away from the leader's corpse.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "She did it for our sake. I'm sure she doesn't take any enjoyment in killing, Alice. Didn't you see her during the battle? She never looked at them while they died. Elaine is a kind person, but she can be tough when she needs to. Do you agree?"

"Y-yeah. You must be right." He had to be.

"Come on. Let's go," he said.

After following Elaine's voice for a while, we finally found her in the opposite corner of the building.

"Hey, guys!" she said relieved. "Glad you made it okay! I was worried!"

Suddenly, she turned serious. She placed her hands around my shoulders and looked earnestly at me. "Did they hurt you? Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

Taken aback by her sudden change in character I stammered, "W-well, I guess I'm okay..."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I couldn't lie to her eyes. "Well, it's just that... my stomach hurts a lot. Earlier, they'd forced some water down my throat. It tasted... different."

Just then, a jolt of pain shot through my abdomen. I gasped. They'd gone so low as to poison my water.

I flinched as my stomach exploded in pain again.

"E-Elaine? I think they put something in my water. I'm not feeling so... good..." I said drowsily.

I felt dizzy, hurt, and suddenly exhausted. The last thing I remember is the worried expression displayed on Elaine's face as I passed out in her arms.

* * *

**A/N: you like? who am i talking to anyway? i dont any reviewers. anyway! if you are out there, please review. good-bye~!**


	7. Wash Away The Sadness If You Can

**A/N: Yeah... So it's been 6 months... I was looking back at my other author's notes and noticed how annoying I sounded. I'll do my best not to do that anymore, but I'm not sure if I'm in control of that or not... Oh well. Also, since it's been so long, I don't remember changes I might have made so sorry if it doesn't make sense sometimes.**

**Edme: **Thank you, Edme. I'm trying to improve my characterization because honestly, I don't think I'm doing that too well )XD O well, and thank you again so much for consideration.

**The Ever-Blue Alchemist: **Your welcome...? ANSWER YOUR PHONE.

**Zadierose: **YOU ARE NOT FORGIVEN FOR SHORTNESS O.O nah, I'm okay. Also, stop giving away things in your reviews! And yeah I don't want you proof reading things anymore CX( if I mess up, I mess up, but I like it better when you (kind of) don't know what's happening.

**Here you go!**

* * *

"Ed! She passed out!" I screamed. "I think they poisoned her!"

"Dammit, really? This is bad! What are we gonna do?"

"Well, first of all, we'd better get out here quick. This building will explode," I said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Ed screamed nervously. "Why?"

I laughed and said, "Because I don't like it!"

Ed looked at me, mouth agape, shocked.

"Well, don't just stand there! This side of the building is close to home so make one of your magic doors and I'll get Alice!" I said explained quickly.

I leaned down to pick up Alice. Once she was snug in my arms, I noticed a drop of blood on her head. I frowned, sure it hadn't been there before. Then another drop joined it.

The blood was dripping off of me! Ew.

"Door's done, Elaine! Let's get out of here!" Ed said just as explosions shook the building.

We ran out the door and into the streets of Rush Valley. It was about noon, so there were plenty of of people out. I was sure we had attracted attention but at the moment, I didn't care.

What mattered was the fact that Alice was burning up. Her fever was getting worse and worse by the minute.

Finally, we were back in the living room of our temporary home.

I laid Alice gently on the couch and asked Ed to go into the kitchen and get a wet rag.

I arranged the rag on Alice's forehead to help bring down the fever.

"Hey, Ed," I said suddenly. "You're an experienced alchemist, right?"

"Well, I guess," he shrugged. "Why?"

"Do you think it's possible to locate the poison in Alice and take it out?" I asked desperately.

Shocked, Ed looked at me for a long time.

"Well, is it?" I pressed.

"I-I'm not sure," he replied, obviously shaken. "There's a good chance that you could lose control and..." he got quiet.

"And what?" I asked nervously.

"...and the poison could enter your bloodstream instead. Biological transmutation is tricky..." he said.

A rebound, huh? Well, if it's for Alice...

"Tell me how," I said quietly.

"But, Elaine-" he started.

"No buts!" I interrupted. "We have to save Alice! No matter the cost."

"Alright," Ed said after a while. "If it's you, I know I wont be able to change your mind."

He went over to the bookshelf and took out a blank notepad.

"Al, come help me with this," he called.

They wrote notes and drew diagrams representing different theories as I hovered over Alice. After about 10 minutes, Ed's face lit up.

"This is it!" he shouted. "Elaine, take a look at this."

His theory was simple. After analyzing the symptoms, he realized that the poison had to consist of elements that would contradict the components of the body. Since I knew what the components were, I could transmute water to enter the bloodstream. By riding the current of the blood, the water would travel through Alice's body, soaking up the poison upon contact. Then, simply transmute the water again to extract.

I smiled and said, "You know what, Ed? You might just be a genius!"

"Thanks?" he seemed confused. "Do you think you can do it? A rebound could be deadly."

Nodding, I replied, "Transmuting water is my specialty. Go fill up a cup with cold water and bring it out here."

I knelt beside Alice and took her hand. _Don't worry, Alice, _I thought to myself. _I wont let anything bad happen to you._

When Ed came back with the water, I clapped my hands together and laid them on the surface. The water glowed blue as alchemical energy broke down the molecules, recreating them somewhere else.

Then the water shot out form the cup and into Alice's mouth. Once in the bloodstream, it began to absorb the poison.

After a minute or so, I guided the water back into the cup. When the blue glow form the transmutation faded, the water turned murky and cloudy. Damn, that was a _lot_ of poison.

"You should analyze that to make sure there aren't any permanent side effects," I said shakily. The transmutation had drained my energy.

"I will, but first we have to take of you," Ed pointed out. "That cut on your neck is deep, and you have numerous smaller cuts on your arms and legs."

I placed my hand on my neck where the first henchman had held the knife. When I pulled it away, my hand was stained red. Damn, he got me after all.

Then, I properly examined myself and found many cuts and bruises I hadn't noticed in the heat of my battle.

"Woah!" I breathed. "It's amazing how I never felt these before."

"You should clean those before they get infected, stupid!" Ed replied. "I'll go get the first aid kit."

For the first time in a while, I laughed whole-heartedly. "I haven't needed first aid kit for 3 years! I learned this neat when I was 14. Wanna see?" I smirked mischievously.

"Of course!" Ed laughed.

I went into the kitchen and filled the sink with warm water. Then I rolled up my sleeves and my left pant-leg to expose all the cuts. Clapping my hands together, I transmuted the water. It glowed blue and wrapped around my arms and leg. A ring formed around my neck as well.

After a few seconds, I put the water back in the sink.

"Take a look," I told Ed.

He was shocked as he peered in. "It's filthy!"

And he was right. The water had turned a muddy red with blood and dirt.

"I used the water to clean my wounds and stop the bleeding. If I do this every morning and every night, it will protect me from infection," I explained as I drained the sink.

"Hey, Elaine," Ed said suddenly. "Is your right leg automail by chance?"

I was taken slightly aback but then relaxed myself. How long did I really think I could keep it a secret? "Bravo, Edward," I smiled sadly. "Yes, my right leg is mechanical." Then I rolled up my other pant leg to show it.

He knelt to examine it and asked quietly, "Did you see it?"

I stiffened. "I... I... Yes, I did. I'm assuming you did as well."

He nodded and replied. "I only... We just..." He shifted away from me.

"I understand," I said then thought to myself, _This person... He may be just like me..._ "And Alice? Does she know?"

"About me? You? Truth?" he smiled. "I wouldn't know. She doesn't talk much."

I laughed. "I noticed."

We were both silent for a long time before I heard Alice stir in the living room.

"Alice!" I said as I rushed to her side.

Her eyes fluttered open and turned to me.

"E-Elaine?" she whispered. "W-what happened to me?"

"You were poisoned by a bunch of low-life cowards," I said. "But don't worry, we took care of it."

Then she looked past me and whispered, "Ed..." real soft.

He knelt down next to me and said, "I'm right here, Alice."

She smiled weakly at us both. "Where's Al?" she whispered. "Is he ok?"

"Don't worry, Alice," Al called from across the room. "I've been here with eveyrone else waiting for you," he smiled.

"Thanks," she said, working hard to bring up the slightest smile.

"You should probably rest," I told her.

"N-no, I'm fine," she replied.

"Really, you should sleep," Ed pressed.

She tried to get up. "I've caused you enough trouble. I'll just-" she gasped in shock and clutched and clutched her stomach.

"Are you okay? I asked, worried.

"I-I'm fine, really," she tried to convince me but I wasn't falling for it.

"No, lie down," I said firmly. "Stay here. I'll bring you a fresh towel and whip up some soup."

"But-" she started, but I was already gone.

* * *

(Alice POV)

It felt weird lying there, helpless and weak.

"She's doing it for your own good," Ed told me, kneeling in front of me.

"I know but... I just don't want to be a burden. She's done more than enough for me," I explained.

"Don't worry about it! She just cares for you. Like a little sister," he sympathized.

_Little sister..._ I sighed. "I guess I'll just have to go along with it," I laughed softly.

"Okay, I'm back! I just started the soup so it should be done in about-"

"Let me help you!" I cut Elaine off as she entered the room, also forgetting about the statement I'd just made. I tried getting up again, forgetting what had happened last time. "Why can't I- OW!" I fell back.

"That is w you can't help," Elaine chuckled as she handed me a damp towel.

"Sorry..." I mumbled.

"Don't be," Elaine assured. "Just go to sleep and yo can eat when you wake up.

"Th-thanks," I replied awkwardly.

I fell asleep gently the second my head touched my pillow.

My dream started out quite peacefully. I dreamt of my sister, Aimee.

We played by the lake near or house like we always did. Her spiky hair and my curls flowing in the small wind. It seemed like any other day. We laughed and chased each other. _Catch me, Alice!_ Aimee squealed. I played along and reached for her but tripped and fell instead. When I looked up, there were tears in her eyes as she shimmered away. I grabbed at her, but my feet wouldn't budge and she disappeared, leaving me reaching for nothing but air.

Horrified, I shot up, waking up Ed who was falling asleep on a chair next to me.

"Ed?" I said. "Were you watching me?"

"Yeah, Elaine wanted me to check on you. Are you okay...?" he asked, worried.

"Of course. Why would you-" I suddenly noticed I had tears streaming down my face. _Aimee..._

"Is something wrong? Are you hurting?"

"I-I... I just... Sorry!" I burst out of my blanket on the couch and ran to my room, closing the door behind me.

* * *

**A/N: I'll try my best to upload faster form now on. I think I've found some more time. I would appreciate feedback on what I'm doing wrong. Please and Thank You. Until next time...**


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